ProgrammingLand: A visualization enhanced hypertextbook

Programming Land is a visualization enhanced hypertextbook designed and used to teach introductory computer science courses. It is based upon a MOO with a web browser interface. It functions as an online resource that may replace both the course textbook as well as a Learning Management System. The system may provide supplementary content material, such as a textbook, to an otherwise conventional course. It may also serve as the entire body of content in a distance education course. This content will generally be in the form of text, but may include graphics, Java applets and other types of interactive exercises to teach and reinforce this material. The system is organized into hierarchical lessons. It monitors each student’s progress through an instructorchosen list of lessons. The instructor may choose assignments for the system to give a student upon completion of the lesson. Like a textbook, different instructors may choose to use different material or different features that are present in the system. ProgrammingLand has been used at several different institutions for the last few years and is freely available under the GNU license.